Using desensitization therapy for emetophobia treatment
What is desensitization therapy ?
Desensitization therapy or exposure therapy as it is also known, has two stages that the vomit phobia sufferer will work with. The first aspect of the training will be learning relaxation techniques. This is used to help you deal with the emotional distress and anxiety associated with the second part of the training. This involves exposing the emetophobic to their condition by using words and images, videos and sounds. The exposure will go from mild to quite graphic in the latter stages. Progression to the next stage is only attempted after their anxiety level drops to negligible levels after repeated exposure. The patient learns to maintain control by using the relaxation techniques, this will desensitize them to their phobia and reduce or eliminate their anxiety levels.
The aim of desensitization therapy as an emetophobia treatment is to intervene and reduce or eliminate the link that has been learned between the anxiety felt, and a situation that typically causes the fear.
Done correctly, desensitization therapy switches off the anxiety attributed to the phobia and replaces it with a relaxed response in the brain. As these responses in the brain are polar opposites to each other the emetophobia will become significantly diminished or eradicated all together.
What is involved in desensitization therapy ?
After the relaxation technique is learnt thoroughly by the emetophobe, both they and their therapist will create an “anxiety hierarchy.” The level of anxiety will usually range from 0 to 10 at the highest level of anxiety. This anxiety hierarchy will involve stimuli starting at the mildest form, progressing on up to the most distressing.
Possible steps in your desensitization therapy once your relaxation techniques have been mastered :
Step 1: Draw a stick man with a line coming from the mouth on a piece of paper.
Step 2: Read an article or cartoon series about someone unwell.
Step 3: Then you would progress to cartoon type characters being sick.
Step 4: Then real pictures of people being ill.
Step 5: Graphic medical pictures.
Step 6: Progression then to watching cartoon videos of people or animals feeling
sick or barfing.
Step 7: Videos of real people being sick or unwell.
Step 8: Sounds of unwell people/animals from mild to more graphic in nature.
Step 9: Playing games in guessing if it is soup/vegetables or real sick.
You maybe thinking about now that your fear stems from yourself actually feeling ill or being sick, not other people. So how can this form of emetophobia treatment help me? The trick is to actually learn to put yourself in the pictures or videos as you see/hear them. As your mind cannot tell the difference between an imagined situation and a real event, this form of treatment will help alleviate your fear of vomiting symptoms.
If you wish to learn more on the background and practice of desensitization therapy, then these books should provide you with a good understanding of the techniques involved.
Exposure Therapy for Anxiety: Principles and Practice
. Jonathan S. Abramowitz PhD (Author), Brett J. Deacon PhD (Author), Stephen P. H. Whiteside PhD ABPP (Author) – Hardcover.
Behavior Modification: Principles, Issues, and Applications
The Practice of Behavior Therapy (Pergamon General Psychology Series 1)
Who should try desensitization therapy ?
If your emetophobia has progressed from a mild fear of vomiting to disrupting your life on a consistent basis. Either it is effecting your relationships, your work or you have to go out of your way to avoid a situation that may cause vomiting. Then desensitization therapy could help alleviate your symptoms drastically or even cure your vomit phobia.
WARNING – Due to the nature of this therapy whereby you will be confronting your fear on a regular basis, this emetophobia treatment is only advisable if you or your child can handle the progressive exposure involved. Mental toughness and dedication is needed in order for this form of treatment to be successful. Due to the possibility of extreme panic reactions, which could make your vomit phobia worse. A medical professional and/or qualified therapist should be sought if in any doubt with this form of treatment.
Where can you get desensitization therapy for Emetophobia ?
Although desensitization therapy could be practiced at home by yourself using the steps above. As previously stated it is highly recommended that you or your child has this form of treatment with a qualified therapist either in person or online. The long term effects should be more effective if undertook with a qualified therapist.
If you wish to practice this technique online I would suggest emetophobiaresource.org which can be found by clicking on the link below :
This website and desensitization therapy instruction is run by a recovered emetophobe who is now a clinical counselor. The program is free for you to undertake yourself or with a qualified therapist. You do not have to worry about what you will find at this website. None of the pictures or videos are on view from the home page for which the above link takes you to. The pictures and videos are all hidden from view at the bottom of the page and you are warned before scrolling down on what you will find in the course.
A qualified therapist can help you with making sure that your relaxation technique is correct as you go through the stages and can also monitor your anxiety levels as you participate in the above training.
